1. Field
Example embodiments relate to thin films, methods of forming the thin films, semiconductor devices including the thin films, and methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to thin films including metal oxynitride, methods of forming the thin films, transistors including the thin films, and methods of manufacturing the transistors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices and circuits that are used in various electronic device fields may be manufactured through processes of depositing (stacking) various thin films and patterning the thin films. For example, thin film transistors that are usefully used in a field related to flat panel display devices, such as liquid crystal display devices or organic light emitting display devices, may be manufactured by depositing (stacking) a gate electrode, a channel layer (thin film), a source electrode, a drain electrode, etc. on a glass substrate or a plastic substrate. The performance of a thin film transistor may mainly depend on properties of a channel layer (thin film).
Most of currently commercialized flat panel display devices use thin film transistors including silicon-based channel layers. Recently, in order to improve operating characteristics of thin film transistors, methods of applying a non-silicon material as a channel layer material have been attempted. For example, a method for applying an oxide thin film having high carrier mobility as a channel layer has been attempted. However, if a non-silicon material is applied as a material of a channel layer, the stability and reliability of the channel layer (thin film) may not be secured.